Hot strip coiler



March 21; 1939.

E. N. MILLAN El AL HOT STRIP GOILER Filed May 2, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS.

M Ma uw f ownv B. Hausa/v. dlfiw r EDWARD Iva ATTORNEKS.

March 21, 1939. WLLAN HA 2,150,934

HOT STRIP 001mm led May 2, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTCRS.

-EDWARD NM LAN BY EDWIN .5. HUUSON.

Qlw Y w ATTORNEYS.

March 21, 1939. MlLL'AN r 2,150,934

HOT STRIP COILER Fil d y 2. 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS.

44,.EDW/IRU N M/L 1. AN

0 BY Euwuv B. Hausa/v.

ATTORNEYS.

' March 21, 1939.

E. N MILLAN Er AL ,1 0,934

HOT STRIP COILER Filed May 2, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 4 EDWARD N MILL/1N Na By Eaw/N E Hausa/v.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 21, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE dletown,

Ohio, assignors to The American Rolling Mill Company, Mlddletown, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application May 2, 1935, Serial No. 19,466

18 Claims.

The fundamental object of our invention is to provide a new and advantageous type of device for forming the hot strip as it is delivered at high speed from the continuous strip sheet mill into convenient coils for handling and further treatment. Ancillary objects of our invention include the provision of very much simplified structure which is convenient and sure of operation, and very much less expensive to build and maintain than coilers of types in present day use; to provide an easy entry of the leading end of the strip into the machine by avoiding sharp changes in the direction of travel of the strip; to eliminate bending rolls and associated guiding means, which have hitherto been found necessary in coiling machines, and to provide means whereby a plurality of the coiling machines may be used in tandem where necessary. It is also an object of our invention to provide a coiling device in which a member surrounding the coil as it is being formed is, aside from the feeding device, the primary means whereby the strip is caused to assume the desired coiled configuration. It is also our object to provide a novel but simple form of arrangement whereby the coiling operation and the removal of finished coils fromthe device proceed quickly and without the intervention of external devices. To this end, it is our object to provide a novel type of ejecting mechanism and a novel removal means. These and other objects of our invention which will be set forth hereinafter or will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon reading this specification, we accomplish by that certain construction and arrangement of parts of which we shall, now describe an exemplary embodiment, illustrated in the drawings which form a part hereof, and in which:--

Figure 1 is a vertical and longitudinal sectional view through the machine.

Figure 1a is an enlarged view of a portion of Figure 1 showing the high pressure fluid outlets.

fining means of Figure 5 showing in detail a method of construction thereof.

In the practice of our invention, we employ pinch rolls for the positive feeding of the leading end of the strip. Pinch rolls are not diflicult to cause the strip to enter at high speed when the strip is properly guided. We avoid bending rolls which are diflicult to enter at high speeds. Instead of bending rolls, we provide beyond the pinch rolls a substantially continuous confining means for the coil, which confining means is of a novel character. ()ne embodiment of it comprises a smooth metallic plate with means for bending this plate into an arcuate shape of relatively small diameter to start the coil, and means for changing the radius of curvature of the plate progressively as the coil grows. In order to prevent the hot strip either from sticking to the plate or from becoming scratched, we separate the strip as it is being coiled from the flexible plate by means of high pressure water stress introduced between the flexible plate and the strip. In another embodiment the confining means is provided with anti-friction devices rendering unnecessary the 20 use of fluid separation means.

The main portion of our machine comprises side frame members I and 2, which may be in the form of castings. These frame members are suitably mounted upon a foundation, and are 25 held apart by transverse members indicated at 3 and 4. Our feeding means, the pinch rolls aforesaid, are indicated at 5 and 6, joumaled in hearing blocks in a guideway I, in each frame member.

provided with a screw 9 threaded in each end frame member, and attached at its lower end to a worm and gear of ordinary type in a housing indicated at Ill. The end frame members are cut away as at II to provide room for this housing. There is a transverse shaft extending across the machine, and through the side frame members thereof. This shaft is indicated in the several views at H, and is connected with the 40 worms of the two worm and gear arrangements II). On the end of the shaft I2, in a position of convenient access to' an operator, there is a hand wheel l3. By means just described, the pinch rolls may be adjusted as desired. The pinch rolls 45 will, of course, be driven by motive means, not shown. We have, however, indicated at H and I5 splined ends on the shafts of pinch rolls 5 ant 6, which may be used for power transferring purposes. coil supporting rolls l6 and I1, journaled in the side frame members and extending thereacross.

These rolls will preferably be driven at slightly greater surface speed than pinch rolls 5 and 6,

and the splined ends thereof are indicated at-l8 In order for these pinch rolls to be adjustable, the bearing block 8 for the lower one is We provide in our machine a pair of and I! in Fig. 4. As shown in Fig. 2, the strip 22, being formed into the coil 2|, passes between the two supporting rolls i6 and ii. In order to guide the strip in such passage, we provide transversely of our machine a guide means 12 lying beyond the pinch rolls 5 and 6.

Figure 2 is illustrative of a further improvement made in our invention over the prior art. Supporting rolls for the growing coll are not themselves novel. Hitherto, however, it has been the practice to lead the strip into coiling position beyond the supporting rolls as shown in the dotted line 22a in this flgure, bending the strip by means of bending rolls. This results in bending the strip too much, as shown, so that it must subsequently be slightly straightened. We do away with bending rolls, and avoid these dimculties by leading the strip 22 direct from the pinch rolls 2 and 6, between the coil supporting rolls. We thus bend the metal only suiflciently for the purpose, and secure thereby a more perfectly wound coil. This is accomplished in connection with the coil forming means hereinafter more fully to be described.

In order to divert the metal into coil shape, we provide the flexible plate means aforesaid, which is indicated in the several figures at 22. It is a flexible plate of steel or other suitable material which may be reinforced for portions of its length by an additional adjacent plate or plates 22. Preferably the flexible plates will be springy in construction, and we will hereinafter describe means for preventing the loss of temper thereof due to the heat of the strip 22 as it enters the cooling device. At one end the plate or plates are mounted against a casting 22 by means of an overlying plate 25, and suitable bolts, or the like, 22. The casting 22 is rotatably mounted upon a shaft 21 extending transversely of the machine, and has a projection 22, which in one position bears against an abutment 22 extending across the machine. The other end of the plate 22 is fastened to a bar or shaft 22 extending across the machine between two arms 2| and 22. These arms have aflixed to them gear sectors indicated at" and 22, and the arm and sector arrangements are rotatably mounted at the effective centers of the sectors upon the frame members and 2. Separate pivotal mountings are shown at 25 and 22. The gear sectors mesh with the teeth of pinions 21 and 22 mounted upon a transverse shaft 29, journaled in the two frame members and extending across the machine. This shaft will be driven by a suitable prime mover not shown. A power transmitting connection for this purpose has been indicated at 22. When the arms 2| and 22 have been rotated by means of the power arrangement, as far as possible in the clockwise direction, the disposition of the flexible plate 22 will be that which is shown in solidlines in Figs. 1 and 3, and it will be seen that the plate forms the greater part of a substantially cylindrical shell, which will divert the metal into coil shape and control the initial diameter of the coil. As thecoil grows and expands, the power drive for the flexible plate means is operated in such a way as to rotate the arms 2| and 22 in a counter-clockwise direction. The flexible plate therefore expands until finally it reaches the position shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 3. Even in its most expanded position, the plate acts as diverting means for the strip being coiled, and partially encloses the coil; but the length of the plate is such as to permit the ejection of the coil when it has reached the re quired size. When the plate is in unexpanded a position, as shown in solid lines, the arm 22 of the casting 22 lies against the abutment 22. As the plate expands, the casting 22 rocks on the pivot 21, the arm 22 dropping away from the abutment means as shown in the dotted lines.

In order to keep the flexible plate 22 cooled and to prevent the strip 22 either from sticking to the flexible plate or from scratching the plate, or being scratched thereby, we introduce during the coiling operation water at high pressure be-' tween the strip or coil and the flexible plate. Tb this end, we have shown in the casting 22 a longitudinal passageway 2|, to which water or other fluid may be fed at high pressure by means of connections. The casting is further perforated as at 22 in a longitudinal series of holes communicating with the passageway 2| and forming outlets for the high pressure fluid, delivering it in jet form between the flexible plate 22 and the strip 22.

The strip 22, coming at high speed from the continuous mill, passes along the usual conveyor comprising rolls 22. We have provided means for passing this strip entirely through our machine without coiling it, as when several of our machines are intended to be used in tandem. Thus we have shown a passageway 25,.having upper and lower guiding means through which the strip in its normal direction of travel may pass to a subsequent delivery conveyor comprising conveyor rolls 22. when it is desired, however. to coil the strip 22 in our machine, as shown in Fig. l, a switching leaf 21, pivoted upon atransverse shaft '22, is lowered into the position shown in solid lines in that figure. This switching leaf carries the leading end of the strip 22 away from the rolls 22, and leads it directly into the bite of the pinch rolls 2 and 2.

We have now described a complete coiling arrangement which operates as follows:-

The arms 2| and 22 are rotated in a clockwise direction until the flexible plate 22 assumes the position shown in solid lines. The switch leaf 21 diverts the strip 22 into the pinch rolls 5 and 6. These pinch rolls feed the strip forward in a porting rolls l2 and H, the driving of which also helps in the coil formation. The high pressure jets of water, or other fluid hereinabove described, permit the sliding of the strip or coil around the flexible plate 22, with a minimum of friction, and also serve both to cool the flexible plate and to cool the coil as it is being formed. As the coil grows, the arms 2| and 22 are rotated in a counter-clockwise direction so as to increase the effective diameter'of the shell. Preferably the power movement of the arms 2| and 22 will be in timed relationship tothe feeding of the strip, so that at all times the cylindrical shell can act as a positive forming and guiding means in the making of a relatively tight coil. A separate motor may be used for actuating the arms 2| and 22, or they may be actuated in proper timed relationship from the driving means connected with the remainder of the machine. For coil ejecting purposes, we provide a member indicated at 22, which in one aspect is a continuation of the guiding means 12. The member 49, is, however, mounted for a vertical reciprocating movement in machined slots 50 in the side frame members I and 2. In the lowermost position of the member 49, it acts merely as a continuation of the guide 12. It can, however, be raised in theguideways 50 so as to eject a coil by raising it from the supporting rolls l6 and I1. Inorder to actuate the member 49 for this purpose, we provide a fluid pressure cylinder. nected by means of a crank 52 to a shaft 53 extending across the machine, and through the end frames thereof. On each end of this crank there is fixedly mounted an arm 54 connected to the member 49 by means of links 55. The introduction of a fluid means under pressure into the cylinder 50 will move the piston rod 5| to the right in Fig. 1, and by means of the crank arm 52 will rotate the shaft 53 in a counter-clockwise direction. The arms 54, turning with the crank, push up on the links 55, and thereby raise the member 49 until the top of it assumes the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. At the time of the ejection of a coil, of course, the flexible plate arrangement will be expanded to the position shown in the dotted lines or therebeyond. The coil, ejected as aforesaid, will run down a guideway 56, lying above the pinch rolls 5 and 9, onto a conveyor comprising concaved rolls 51, as indicated at B. A back stop for the coil is indicated at 58, supported above the conveyor rolls 44 upon a framework indicated generally at 59. Thus if the coil rolls too far, as shown at C, this back stop will arrest its motion, and cause it to roll back onto the conveyor rolls 51. These conveyor rolls may be driven by bevel gear arrangements indicated generally at and of known character. The driving means for the conveyor rolls is covered by a slanting plate 6|, which provides a gravity delivery from the backstop 58 to the conveyor rolls 51. In Figures-5 and 6 we have shown a modifie form of confining'means. In Figure 5 like parts are designated by the same numerals as found in the other figures. The difference in arrangement here is that the confining means or plate 22a is provided with anti-friction devices serving to eliminate the necessity of the fluid pressure means heretofore described. We have shown as an exemplarystructure the plate 220. having cut out portions '22. Adjacent the edges of these out out portions we mount bearings 62 in which rollers 63 are journaled. These rollers are of a diameter to extend through the out out portions, to contact the sheet 2|, to confine it in coil forming position and to keep-the hot sheet 2| away from the plate 22a. Preferably the small rollers 53 are staggered as shown so as to form a sheath having anti-friction means effectively closely spaced. Thev plate 22aupon which these antifriction means are mounted is flexible and is bent by movements of the arms 32 as is the plate 22 in the other figures. I

Modifications may be made in our invention without departing from the spirit thereof.

9 Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new-and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:-

1. In a coiling device, feeding means, a cylindrical flexible sheath adapted to receive astrip from said feeding means and divert it into coil formation, means for varying the effective diameter of said sheath, said sheath comprising a piece of flexible sheet metal of suitable width and of a.

length sufllcient to define a substantial arc of a The positive rod 5| is concylindrical flexible sheath adapted to receive a.

strip fed by said feeding means and form said strip into a coil resting upon said supporting rolls, said feeding means comprising pinch rolls, and a guiding means located to deliver said strip from said feeding means into said sheath, means for flexing said sheath to accommodate larger diameters of the coil as it grows, a portion of said guiding means being movable to eject a coil from said sheath.

3. In combination in a coiler, deliverymeans for a strip to be coiled, feeding means for a strip to be coiled located to receive said strip from said delivery means, means for confining said strip to coil form, guide means for conducting said strip from said feeding means to said confining means, supporting rolls for the coil, ejecting means for removing said coil from said supporting rolls, and a conveyor for receiving said ejected coil and located above said strip feeding means.

4. In combination in a coiler, delivery means for a strip to be coiled, feeding means for a strip to be coiled located to receive said strip from said delivery means, meansfor confining said strip to coil form, guide means for conducting said strip from said feeding means to said confining means, supporting rolls for the coil, ejecting means for removing said coil from said supporting rolls,'a conveyor for receiving said ejected coil and located above said strip feeding means, gravity means for delivering said coil from said confining means to said conveyor, and back stop means located beyond said conveyor to limit over-running of said coil.

5. In combination in a coiler, delivery means for a strip to be coiled, feeding means for a strip to be coiled located to receive said strip from said delivery means, means for confining said strip to coil form, guide means fof conducting said strip from said feeding means to saidconfining means, supporting rolls for the coil, ejecting means for removing said coil from said supporting rolls, a conveyor for receiving said ejected coil and located above said strip feeding'means, a strip conveyor beyond said coiling device, means for conducting a strip through said coiling device without contact with said feeding means, and switching means for said strip for delivering said strip selectively to said feeding means or throughsaid coiler without coiling it.

6. In combination in a coiling device, pinch rolls, guiding means, supporting rolls and a flexible sheet metal coil confining sheath, frame members, said elements being mounted in said frame members, a portion at least of said guiding means being siidably mounted in saidframe member, and power means for moving said guide portion to eject a coil from said sheath.

7. In combination in a coiling device, pinch rolls, guiding means, supporting rolls and a flexible sheet metal co'il confining, sheath, frame linkage and lever means for moving said guide portion.

8. In combination in a coiling device, pinch rolls, guiding means, supporting rolls and a flexible sheet metal coil confining sheath, frame members, said elements being mounted in said frame members, a portion at least of said guiding means being slidably mounted in said frame member, power means for moving said guide portion to eject a coil from said sheath, said means comprising a fluid pressure cylinder, linkage and lever means for moving said guide portion, and means for flexing said sheath comprising a. rockable support for one end thereof and a movable support for the other end thereof, said last mentioned support comprising pivoted arms, a connection between the end of said sheath and said arms, power means for moving said arms about said pivots.

9. A process of coiling metal, which comprises feeding a strip forward under power into a flexible sheath, which alone confines said strip in coil form, supporting the coil wholly externally as the coil is being wound, and positively flex-' ing said sheath independently of the coil to control the increasing coil diameter.

10. A process of coiling hot metal which comprises feeding a metal strip under power into a flexible metal sheath for confining said strip into coil form and facilitating motion of saidstrip with reference to said sheath by introducing between said sheath and said strip fluid under pressure.

11. In a coiling device, a coil confining sheath of sheet metal, a support for one end thereof, a

movable support for the other end thereof, power means for moving said last mentioned support so as to flex said sheet, and means in said first mentioned support for delivering between said sheath and a strip to be coiled a blast of fluid under pressure.

12. In a coiling machine, a pair of propelling pinch rolls, at least two fixed, external coil supporting rolls, said pinch rolls located to propel a piece between said supporting rolls, and means located beyond said supporting rolls (as respects the travel of said piece) for conforming said piece to coil shape.

13.. In a coiling machine, a pair of propelling pinch rolls, means for driving said rolls, a pair of fixed, external coil supporting rolls, and means for driving said supporting rolls at slightly greater peripheral speed than said pinch rolls, said pinch rolls being located so as to propel a piece to be rolled between said supporting rolls.

14. In a coiling device, feeding means, a cylindrical flexible sheath adapted to receive a strip from said feeding means and to divert it into coil formation, and means for varying the effective diameter of said sheath, said sheath comprising a flexible metal plate having perforations therein and anti-friction means mounted so as to extend through said perforations and to be effective on the inside of said cylindrical sheath in maintaining the strip being coiled, out of contact with said plate.

15. In combination in a coiling device, feeding means, a pair of supporting rolls for a coil, and a cylindrical smooth surface sheath adapted to receive a strip fed by said feeding means and form said strip into a coil resting wholly upon said supporting rolls, and power driven means for flexing said sheath to control the increasing diameter of the coil. I

16. In combination in a coiling device, feeding means, a pair of supporting rolls for a coil, anda cylindrical smooth surface sheath adapted to receive a strip fed by said feeding means and form said strip into a coil resting wholly upon said supporting rolls, and power driven means for flexing said sheath to control the increasing diameter of the coil, said feeding means compris- 7 ing pinch rolls and a guiding means located to deliver said strip from said feeding means intosaid sheath.

17. In combination in a coiler, feed rolls, supporting rolls and a sheet metal sheath, means for bending said sheath into an arcuate shape to receive the leading end of a strip to be coiled and to cause it to conform to a coil shape, and positive mechanical means for expanding said sheath to accommodate the increasing coil diameter so as to continue to confine said coil to coil shape while said coil is resting wholly on said supporting rolls.

18. In combination in a coiler, feed rolls, supporting rolls and a sheet metal sheath, means for bending said sheathinto an arcuate shape to receive the leading end of a strip to be coiled and to cause it to conform to a coil shape, positive mechanical means for expanding said sheath to accommodate the increasing coil diameter, said sheath being fixed at oneend to supporting means, and at the other to at least one pivoted arm, and means for swinging said pivoted arm so as to flex said sheath so as to continue to confine said coil to coil shape while said coil is resting wholly on said supporting rolls.

EDWARD N. mil-AN.

EDWIN B. HUDSON. 

